Things Fall Apart
by PusherLuvGirl
Summary: Hermione married Ron, Draco married Astoria. Hermione fell out of love with Ron, Draco fell out of love with Astoria...see a pattern? Draco x Hermione Romance


A/N: Hiya! First upload, so reviews are much appreciated...I'm thinking two parts for this one...oh and hope you enjoy!

~K

Hermione and Ron just fell together. After the war, she hadn't really known what she wanted, but Ron made it clear he wanted her so she let it happen. It hadn't even occurred to her that she should date other people until Draco Malfoy joined her investigative team in the Auror Department. She'd seen his white blonde hair and been mesmerized.

"_Malfoy?" she'd loudly called across their workroom. No one else was present, she'd waited until everyone else had left. _

"_The one and only." He dropped the book he'd been reading before sauntering over to her desk. He spelled everything on it, including the book she was reading, to disappear before hopping onto it and grinning cheekily at her. _

"_Granger" he began seriously. "We should get to know each other better, right here on this desk." He'd expected her to curse him, scream, have him arrested, or at the very least hate him eternally. She did none of those things. She threw her head back and laughed heartily for two whole minutes (he'd counted) before scooting back from the desk. And at that moment, he just _knew_ she was going to do him bodily damage, but he was, again, wrong. _

_She hopped up next to him before turning her head and stating while still chuckling "I'm Hermione Granger. And you are?"_

They became good friends after that. He'd explain how Astoria's constant whining to get married worried him and she explained how Ron's eerily similar behavior angered her. He discussed how after the war his parents' incarceration left him hurting and she discussed how a healer had informed her that it was ultimately too risky to try to re-modify her parents' memories. They'd laugh at memories from Hogwarts or argue about the latest book they'd read together.

And when Draco admitted to Hermione that he'd slept with Astoria she went home too jealous to think straight. She told Ron to set a date and less than one month later she was married. Draco quickly followed her, not knowing what else to do. And for two years they barely spoke.

Until, after two years and one month of mediocre sex and stupid conversations, Draco got fed up. He asked Hermione to come to his place for dinner one night when both his wife and her husband were out of town. Their old, witty banter flowed just as freely as the bubbly champagne they poured.

"I missed you" she whispered as they sat watching the fire burn in his elaborately decorated fireplace. It was close to midnight and she felt delirious with happiness. Her best friend was back!

He lazily grinned back before leaning forward and capturing her lips.

**Three Years Later**

It was tearing Hermione up, her affair with Draco. She'd told him so once

"_How can I do this to Ron? How can you to Astoria? We're terrible."_

"_My marriage with Astoria has never been real" he retorted while rolling off of her and onto his side. He propped himself up on one arm to better view her beauty; she practically glowed after she came, it was a breathtaking sight. _

"_Oh" she replied. Not really feeling much better. Maybe he could justify his infidelity, but she still felt just awful._

"_Yours too, sweetie" he said after a moment. When she looked up at him in surprise, he clarified. "You and Ron aren't real, you never were because you never loved him." _

She'd been so angry and confused at his declaration that she refused to see him again. Her resolve though, only lasted for about two weeks. When they finally met again, she felt the need to set him straight.

"_I-I care about you Draco, greatly. Sometimes I-" she faltered. The gaze he was directing at her was frightening._

"_You care about me, but you love him. Sure, that's fine." His voice was low, not quite venomous, but certainly frightening. She was paying close attention. "For now. I'll share, but only because you're being forced to share me as well." At this point he had slowly lifted her off the ground and pressed her against the wall so tightly that she could feel every part of him. "But understand this princess: I will leave Astoria and you will no longer be sharing me." While he began to kiss her neck tenderly, her mind replayed his words. She'd heard the unspoken question. 'Will I always have to share you?' And in that moment she didn't know the answer, all she really knew was that his lips had wandered a little lower than her neck and she couldn't concentrate._

Less than a month later she'd entered the kitchen on a bright Wednesday morning after spending an extra five minutes disguising Draco's latest love bite to find her husband chuckling while reading the _Prophet. _They smiled at each other as she passed him to pour her morning coffee before seating herself across from her other half. She was grateful he seemed to be in a good mood today. She couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed in her presence.

"Good morning" she said melodically before beaming at him. He returned the grin before sliding her the paper. She glanced down and almost spit out her coffee. '**Draco Malfoy files for divorces, citing irreconcilable differences'**. Momentarily forgetting her husband, she held the paper up to quickly scan the article.

_The Prophet is very sad to report that Draco Malfoy, 29 has filed for divorce from wife, Astoria Malfoy nee' Greengrass, 25. The two were acquainted throughout their childhoods due to familial friendships and dated briefly before marrying in the stunningly decorated Malfoy Manor gardens five years ago. Malfoy, who claims irreconcilable differences have made it impossible for him to stay with his wife, could not be reached for comment. But Astoria was available "I'm shocked that this has become such a public scandal" she said over coffee. "I just wanted this to be a quiet matter between Draco and myself." When I asked soon to again be Ms. Greengrass why the divorce came after five years of supposed wedded bliss she responded in clipped tones. "Sometimes things fade; they start well and over time they fracture. Perhaps we should have worked harder to fix things while we were bruised and not broken…" The divorce is expected to be finalized no later than this Friday._

Hermione felt her eyes widen comically and was instantly grateful she'd held the paper up to read; her husband wouldn't understand her panic. Divorce. _Divorce?! _Her mind flipped back to that night when he'd said 'you will no longer be sharing me.' He'd meant it and now…Draco Malfoy was single again.

She couldn't bring herself to try and contact him. He needed time she figured. So, when he was sitting on her couch, drinking her firewhiskey when she got home Wednesday night she was surprised.

"Draco" she breathed heavily, like he was a mythical creature who descended from heaven to land on her couch just for her. He looked up, but she couldn't read he look in his eyes. He moved his eyes from her to the seat across from him in a silent command for her to seat herself. She did so silently and without hesitation. That was one feature of Draco that she adored, he was commanding. Ron was content to let Hermione do all of the work, run every show, always. But Draco knew how to take control, and it would shock her husband but she quite liked being told what to do. She found constriction liberating at times. After she had sat and crossed her legs, she leaned forward, breathing heavily. She wanted to hear every word he spoke.

"I've filed for divorce from Astoria." Her breath constricted in her throat. He paused for a moment, allowing his words to impregnate the pause. "I am single." She stared at him, she was in awe. She didn't know what she expected him to say: would he demand she divorce her husband? Would he continue to sleep with her regardless? Would he dump her all together and move on? But she couldn't imagine him just walking away. She'd worked the hardest throughout their affair to keep her emotions separate, Draco on the other hand seemed to have no qualms with falling for Hermione, he'd never tried to stop it. Suddenly, he stood. He gently placed their shot glass on the desk and grabbed a fistful of floo powder.

"Wait!" she called. "You're leaving?"

"I don't think your husband would want to find me on his couch drinking with his wife."

"So…what does all of this mean? What's going to happen to us? You-"

"I divorced Astoria because I wanted to." His eyes hardened and she felt fear begin to dawn in her. "I came here to see if divorce was something you wanted as well."

"Oh."

"I see." He visibly distanced himself: his back straightened, his eyes lost their anger along with any traces of emotion. He was just Malfoy again, not Draco.

"Just wait a moment!" she called as he turned to leave once again. "I-"

"Mione" he cut her off. "I don't know a lot, but I know I don't want to hurt you and it's obvious you want to stay with your…man. So goodbye." He barely glanced at her before disappearing.


End file.
